text:
Strong Demand for Nitrile Gloves in 2021
The year 2021 started out with some unique challenges that have caused a strain on the nitrile glove supply chain. Specifically, the demand for nitrile gloves is high, while at the same time, there is a shortage of this essential personal protective equipment. As you can imagine, this has caused a whole host of issues that directly affect end-users, nitrile glove suppliers, and everyone in between. Let's discuss a few aspects of this situation.
Glove Supply & Demand has Remained Unbalanced
Signs of a nitrile glove shortage started in the year 2020 when the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic took its toll, creating an extreme unbalance in supply and demand. This unbalance has only worsened since then as the need for quality protective gloves grew as the virus cases surged.
It's most apparent when you evaluate the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile, where its pre-COVID nitrile glove count was close to 4 billion gloves, but was recently counted at only 72 million gloves, which is concerning. In addition to this, the overall current demand is 585 billions gloves a year according to market analysts. However current production can only make 370 billions gloves a year and new manufacturers for 2021 will only be able to make an additional 50 billion gloves, thus creating a shortfall of 165 billion gloves.
Below you will find a few specifics on the supply and demand issue that is currently taking place:
Demand - Why is there a High Need for Nitrile Gloves in 2021?
From the start of the pandemic last year, to the beginnings of 2021, through the current day, there have been many factors that have increased the need for disposable nitrile gloves. This is especially true due to the fact that this specific glove type is preferred over latex when protecting against COVID. Please see our article on Nitrile vs Latex Gloves - A Comprehensive Guide to obtain more information on the specifications of each glove.
Let's review three reasons the demand has surged:
1. All Medical Facilities Require Hand Protection
Because of the risk of contracting or spreading the virus, all medical professionals have been advised to wear hand protection - from hospitals to independent physician's offices. Those physicians who were already using gloves have noted that their consumption has gone up by two boxes a day.
2. COVID Vaccine Rollouts Elevated the Demand for Nitrile Gloves
Reliable gloves are needed when administering the COVID vaccine, and distribution has recently started. This has greatly increased the need for hand protection. Additionally, the vaccine rollout will start to speed up as the months go by and will bring about an even higher urgency for nitrile gloves.
3. Increased Glove Use in Various Industries
As mentioned, there has been an increased use in the medical industry, which for obvious reasons, is a priority. However, this leaves other industries falling short on their own glove supplies. What is left is being requested for frontline workers such as grocery store clerks, post offices, airline staff, various small businesses, and many others.
Supply - What's Causing the Low Numbers
It's especially difficult for those who are in need of protective gloves when the traditional avenue of obtaining them falls short. Supply issues have occurred for the following reasons:
1. Limited Number of U.S. Nitrile Glove Manufacturers
There are very few companies that make nitrile gloves in the United States. This has never been an issue in the past, but due to the sudden increased demand for nitrile hand protection, many distributors who once ordered domestically were forced to seek out international manufacturers. However, these overseas facilities were already operating at full capacity before the pandemic. This didn't leave much room for additional operating hours to increase their output for the new high demand. The end result is that the supply the international manufacturers produced didn't meet the amount needed.
2. Largest Overseas Manufacturer Closed Facilities
Top Glove, one of the world's largest glove manufacturers located in Malaysia, was forced to close many of its facilities due to a COVID outbreak among its workers. In fact, over 2,000 employees had tested positive for the virus. The overall glove supply took a huge hit because of these closures.
3. Shortage of Labor, Capacity, and Raw Materials
The sudden demand for nitrile gloves has put a strain on manufacturers, caused a scarcity of resources, hampered the ability to find enough workers to produce the amount needed, as well as produced significant capacity issues. This has caused output to remain at a lower level than what is required to meet the quotas requested.
How Does this Glove Shortage Directly Impact End-Users?
Coming up short on needed personal protective equipment such as nitrile gloves, as you can imagine, has impacted end-users in a negative way. There are two aspects of this that we will discuss below:
Individuals May be at a Higher Risk
Without an adequate supply of nitrile gloves available, healthcare workers, in particular, are put at risk when forced to utilize lower quality glove types. Or worse yet, reuse their gloves that were intended to be single-use only. Additionally, as mentioned, medical workers are the first to receive what gloves are available, leaving other industries to fend for themselves when it comes to using superior hand protection. In sum, a shortage can leave individuals unprotected.
Buyers Affected by Unavoidable Price Increases
The result of having a high demand for nitrile gloves, while at the same time, having a shortage, is that price increases are inevitable. A lack of manufacturers who can keep up with the demand, as well as shortages of raw materials, and everything in between, has caused distributors to be hit hard with higher costs. This, in turn, impacts the end-users who now have a higher price tag also.
In the end, having access to quality protective gloves, and safety in general, is priceless, and worth paying a little more to safeguard yourself and your staff.
Gain Peace of Mind by Ordering from a Trusted Source such as Gloves.com
Gloves.com is well structured to stay on top of the need for quality hand protection during this pandemic. How is this the case? Essentially, our long-established relationships with reputable manufacturers have equipped us to continue to stay fully stocked to meet the high demand for nitrile gloves in 2021. If you require hand protection such as this, please visit our nitrile gloves ordering page. In addition to this, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.


text:
The European Commission (EC) has filed an appeal against the ruling of the Court of First Instance of the European Union (EU) annulling the request that technology company Amazon pay a tax of 250 million euros to Luxembourg.
On July 22, the European Commission (EC) filed an appeal against the ruling of the Court of First Instance of the European Union (EU) to cancel the request that the technology company Amazon (USA) pay a tax amount of 250 million VND. euro ($303 million) to Luxembourg offered by the union.
According to a ruling by the European Court of First Instance in May, the EU failed to prove that Luxembourg had an illegal tax advantage for Amazon.
In an investigation published in 2017, the EU concluded that Luxembourg had offered a preferential tax policy for Amazon, making nearly three-quarters of the company’s profits tax-free and required the technology company to refund 250 million. euro tax money for Luxembourg. Both Luxembourg and Amazon oppose the argument.
The EC said in a statement that the EU found the ruling of the European Court of First Instance to contain several legal errors.
With the above appeal decision, the controversy between the EU and Amazon will be referred to the European Court of Justice, the EU’s highest judicial body, for arbitration.
Previously, in July 2020, Apple (USA) also won an appeal at the European Court of First Instance regarding the EU’s request for this technology company to refund 13 billion euros in taxes. for Ireland.
According to the European Court of First Instance, the EU failed to prove that the Irish government provided a tax advantage to Apple.
These lawsuits take place after the LuxLeaks scandal in 2014. Accordingly, European journalists exposed 548 secret deals between 340 multinational corporations – including big names like Apple, Ikea, Pepsi – with Luxembourg tax authorities to pay fewer taxes, by declaring losses in countries where it is actually invested and declaring profits in Luxembourg where tax rates are very low.

domain: news


text:
Five more years for von Hoensbroech at Lufthansa Cargo
21 / 03 / 2017
Alexis von Hoensbroech has been appointed board member products and sales of Lufthansa Cargo for a further five years.
The company’s Supervisory Board extended his contract early and unanimously until November 30, 2022.
"As part of corporate-wide restructuring, von Hoensbroech had re-positioned his department at the start of the year to increase efficiency and ensure even greater flexibility and closer customer relation," the cargo carrier said.
Von Hoensbroech has been working for the Group since 2005 and has been a member of the board of Lufthansa Cargo since December 2014.
The 46 year-old was previously commercial manager Frankfurt of Lufthansa Passage and was responsible there for network planning, booking control and commercial management of the passenger business at the airline’s largest hub.
In a recent interview with Air Cargo News, von Hoensbroech outlined his belief that the air cargo industry needed to hasten its adoption of digital services.


text:
International distribution leader signs with Phyto Animal Health and HempMeds to increase reach of the companies’ CBD products.
Two of Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s portfolio companies, HempMeds® and Phyto Animal Health, have signed agreements with Mr. Checkout in recent months, adding to their distribution channels and increasing their exposure in the wider retail market. As the CBD market continues its upward growth trend, potentially reaching $22 billion by 2022, this expanded market reach of Medical Marijuana, Inc. products is all the more important.
First, Phyto Animal Health, a leader in the pet CBD market, signed with the distribution company last November. This partnership increased the number of outlets nationwide that feature Phyto Animal Health by adding thousands of members of the Independent Pet Retailer Association to the stores that carry the company’s hemp and CBD pet products.
“We are elated to partner with Mr. Checkout to distribute our hemp pet products to thousands of new retailers,” said Phyto Animal Health CEO Ian Quinn. “We are constantly seeking opportunities to expand our reach and we trust this deal will help us increase access to CBD and raise awareness about the many health and wellness benefits of CBD for companion animals.”
Then, this past week, HempMeds®, the first company to offer commercial CBD hemp oil products to customers nationwide, also signed an agreement with Mr. Checkout to distribute the company’s CBD oil products to retailers across the country.
“This partnership signifies the next monumental step for the company to continue to grow and make 2019 a landmark year of outreach and sales,” said HempMeds® President Todd Morrow. “We have many world-class CBD products made with the highest-quality European hemp that deserve to be shared with a larger audience of consumers than we currently have and we believe that Mr. Checkout can help us do this.”
Mr. Checkout was launched in 1989 as a national group of independent direct store delivery distributors, full-line grocery distributors, and similar retail outlets. Its distribution network now services over 35,000 retailers across the United States, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean.
Products distributed by Mr. Checkout are featured in major big box stores like Kroger, Costco, Walgreens, Walmart, and Dollar General. The company offers direct store delivery to retail locations and helps promotion through in-store marketing.
These distribution deals between Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s portfolio companies and Mr. Checkout will put our CBD products on the shelves of thousands of retailers and in front of more customers than ever before.
You can learn more about Medical Marijuana, Inc., our family of companies, and our hemp and CBD brands on our news feed.
Interested in trying CBD products for yourself? Shop our online store now.


text:
Sponsored by Xero
Five lessons from Omicron on safeguarding small businesses
This content is produced by The Australian Financial Review in commercial partnership with Xero.
The business world runs on numbers. Despite their importance, however, we’ve quickly become desensitised to their gravity during the pandemic.
Never has this been more relevant than during the omicron outbreak, when cases skyrocketed, along with figures on everything from hospitalisations to economic impact. This has led to more Australians experiencing the ripple effects of COVID-19 than ever before.
Yet, even as the daily totals drop, we must not lose sight of the reality they point to.
They represent huge health impacts and loss of life.
Beyond this, there are the effects not included in official counts; ask any small business owner and you’ll uncover one of the many stories from omicron.
Some barely scraped by, and the mental and financial toll doesn’t leave much in the tank for another round. These are our relatives, friends, neighbours, and many others that form the bedrock of our communities.
Moving forward, it’s vital we recognise the human impact of what we experienced this summer and proof of the need to support small businesses.
In light of this, here are five learnings from omicron to help safeguard the small business economy against future disruptions:
- Continuity planning is non-negotiable: At this stage, having to make sudden changes to operations isn’t new — it’s part of running a business during a pandemic. Planning for worst-case scenarios is integral in case challenges occur, like supply chain hurdles or staffing issues. In January, Xero Small Business Insights found sales growth slowed to 5.7 per cent year-on-year as the shadow lockdown hit. Some industries were affected worse than others, with hospitality sales falling 7.5 per cent year-on-year. When unforeseen situations like this happen, having a clear road map is pivotal.
- Support crews are more than just a backup: Throughout the pandemic, the guidance of accountants and bookkeepers led small businesses through ongoing turbulence. But who can advisers turn to when they’re in need? Many are experiencing burnout and also contend with running their own business alongside helping others. We need to ensure there are appropriate resources for small business-adjacent sectors and recognise the valuable part they play. Programs like Beyond Blue’s mental health course for advisers acknowledge this need.
- Digitisation is paramount: According to Xero research, small businesses that were highly digitised fared better throughout the pandemic. But digitisation must be seen as ongoing rather than a simple box tick. It may start with moving processes online (like e-commerce); however, the next step is connecting these to streamline workflows and free up time. Only four in 10 Australian small businesses are open to taking risks when making business decisions. With this in mind, industry, government and advisers need to work together to demystify new developments, like e-invoicing, to strengthen our development as a resilient, digital nation.
- Rapid government support is critical: An agile government support safety net has underpinned the stability and success of small businesses throughout the pandemic. Xero’s data found JobKeeper stabilised small businesses early in the pandemic, while the latest round of packages announced by state governments brought welcome respite from the impacts of omicron. The greater speed and ease at which small businesses can access funds, the better, and much-needed practical measures should be continued to ensure long-term industry preparedness.
- We can’t forget the human side: Finally, we can’t underestimate the impact this wave has had on the people behind the figures. While things may be shifting as the peak passes, it was (and still is) immensely challenging for small business owners, their employees and families. When small businesses prosper, all of Australia will see the benefits; which is why decisions at all levels must be made with people, not just numbers, at heart.
In the event another wave occurs, we must prepare to protect the small business sector and broader economy. Digitisation plays a part, but support must come from all sides. We all look forward to seeing these communities equipped with what they need to rebuild their businesses and more.
From government to big business, to small business owners and employees themselves, we all play a role in helping the sector not only survive but thrive.
For Australia’s economy to return to full strength, it’s time to help small businesses — and the people behind them — go full steam ahead.
Joseph Lyons is Managing Director, Xero Australia and Asia.
Sponsored by Xero
Introducing your Newsfeed
Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.Find out more
Latest In Technology
Fetching latest articles


text:
limited upside seen for tomypak - food packaging film
Mid-term prospects seem bright
The long term outlook remains challenging, and tomypak Holdings Bhd has worked well over the past year, with its shares becoming one of the best performing stocks on the local exchange in 2017.
But as a medium, it seems increasingly challenging for the counter to gain further momentum in the new year
The long-term earnings outlook for food packaging manufacturers has become blurred.
For example, a local fund manager said further increases could be limited at the moment, as she expected the company's earnings to be under pressure in the medium term. “The longer-
The long-term prospects for this company may be bright, but for now we think it has reached its peak. . .
We expect the group's net profit to be affected by a shrinking profit margin and rising costs, "the fund manager of a local asset management company told StarBizWeek.
She pointed out: "I would like to say that this trend is already clear because the group's bottom line has not met expectations in the last two consecutive quarters, "About Tomypak's performance in the second and third quarters of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.
Tomypak plans to launch the fourth
Quarterly data by the end of next month.
The company's share price rose impressive last year, up about 57% as of 97.
5 Sen from 62 on December 29.
2 in early 2017.
The counter did not change at rm1 yesterday. 03.
At present, the share price of Tomypak is around 17 points.
The group's 2018 consensus estimates revenue to be 6 Times, 13 times.
Eight times that of 2019.
According to an analyst, the risk-return outlook for Tomypak in the medium term is expected to dampen investor confidence in the company's shares.
"We think that the share price increase of Tomypak last year was mainly due to the impressive first place of the group.
But looking forward, we do not see any strong catalyst for its stock;
We believe that so far the market has priced many positive factors, including the group's upcoming capacity expansion . "
In addition, he said the company's profit outlook "does not look good" due to pressure on profit margins ".
"The group is faced with rising raw material costs and increased operating expenses.
"We believe that the company must quickly address the problem of declining profit margins, otherwise its profits will continue to be impacted, which will affect confidence in the stock," he explained . ".
At the same time, a source close to the company believes that the challenge facing the company is only short-term, as the group remains focused on expanding its business in both local and foreign markets.
Tomypak has developed various strategies to reduce its revenue risk, he added.
For example, in order to cope with the pressure on profit margins and improve the profitability of the group, Tomypak is currently negotiating new deals with its suppliers to find new ways to do business with customers, the source said, introduce new equipment with the latest technology to increase costs.
"The company has implemented several initiatives to address the problem of falling profit margins and rising costs.
"This includes working closely with all raw material suppliers and customers," he said . " He pointed out that,
So far, the actions of all parties have yielded fruitful results.
In addition, he also said that there are many interiors of Tomypakefficiency-
Improve strategies and action plans, which include being more innovative throughout the chain of operations.
"The company remains at the forefront of research and development (R&D)
Continuously improve products and solutions for customers. . .
"This continuous effort not only helps the company to meet the strict needs of its customers, but also helps the company to improve production efficiency and reduce costs," he explained . ".
Nevertheless, sources acknowledge the inevitable challenges.
For example, the strengthening of ringgit does not bode well for Tomypak, which may result in reduced export orders and loss of foreign exchange translations due to its outward Sales in US dollars.
Export orders now account for about 50% of the group's revenue.
On a global scale, the food packaging industry is experiencing a wave of mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
For example, Amcor Ltd, the world's largest player, reinvented the game space.
The source said that Tomypak needs to develop strategies to manage the changing environment brought about by the M & A wave in order to compete effectively with big boys globally.
He said that Tomypak must also be aware of the possibility of global big boys entering the Malaysian market locally, because this may lead to more competition in the already small market.
The expansion plan is currently the second.
Malaysia's largest manufacturer of flexible food packaging, second only to the Daibochi plastics and packaging industry Bhd.
According to estimates from Maybank Investment Bank Research (Maybank IB)
, Tomypak currently controls about 35%-
According to revenue, the country's market share is 40% per cent, while the market share of big bochi is estimated to be 55% per cent. 60%.
As a group, Tomypak participates in the manufacture and marketing of flexible packaging materials, mainly for local and international food and beverages (F&B)companies.
It's worth noting that about 99% of Tomypak's customers are from this recession --
Flexible catering department.
Its customers include well-known brands such as Nestle, Unilever, Ajinomoto, Kraft Foods, Mamee and Apollo.
"Tomypak will continue to focus on developing its business in the catering industry. . .
"The positive side for the company is that it offers high-quality printing and packaging materials that adopt the highest standards in the industry," the source said . ".
"While this will undoubtedly cost more for Tomypak, the plan is expected to set a high entry threshold to defend against competition, at the same time, it can meet the strict requirements of customers, especially multinational companies, "he added.
Tomypak's current revenue is almost equal between domestic and overseas markets. South-
East Asia is the group's main market destination, followed by Russia and South Africa.
Tomypak currently has a total installed capacity of 25,000 tons at two production plants Tampoi and Senai in Johor.
The two plants have a total construction area of more than 410,000 square feet, which is enough to meet the group's expansion strategy for the next five years.
At present, Tomypak is installing new printing and laminating production lines as well as other auxiliary and support equipment, and it is expected to double its production capacity in the next two years.
The group expects its infrastructure investment to be more efficient and ultimately translate into better operating margins.
According to Maybank IB, Tomypak's expansion plan and continuous quality improvement will provide more for the group
Its market share and earnings growth need momentum.
Maybank IB has a "buy" call for Tomypak with a target price of rm1. 05 based on 16.
The brokerage expects the latter to make a profit of 5 times 2018.
Although Tomypak has achieved disappointing results in the nine months ended September 2017, Maybank IB said it believes that due to increased sales from both local and overseas, the company is in better productivity.
In a recent note on the company, MaybankIB wrote: "We believe that the operating costs in 2017 are higher, especially the operating costs of new plants, paving the way for better revenue growth in the future
The brokerage said sales of Tomypak are expected to accelerate after obtaining standard certification.
It also expects Tomypak to consume new in-house film.
MaybankIB quoted Euromonitor as reporting that consumption of global flexible catering packaging products is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2. 7% (food)and 3. 8% (beverage)
Between 2016 and 2021.
However, Kenanga's research is not optimistic.
The brokerage recently downgraded its call for Tomypak to "poor performance" with a target price of 80 sen based on 18.
It is three times the latter's estimated income of 2018.
"Although Tomypak's bullish capacity expansion is scheduled to reach 89% by 2020 --
2021 is a positive factor, and we believe that the current valuation is stretched, which requires a "poor performance" call because of poor performance in recent quarters,than-
Profit margins are expected, "Kenanga Research explained in a November 24, 2017 report.
"So we now choose to be conservative by pricing the revenue risk, but we may be looking to increase revenue and call for more specific profit improvements," it added . ".
In another report released this month, Kenanga Research pointed out that recent revenue growth (if any) from plastic packaging manufacturers such as Tomypak will mainly come from profit expansion.
"This is based on better cost efficiency and product innovation, which may increase profit margins as plastic manufacturers seek to sell more profitable and more profitable products," said the brokerage . ".
Tomypak announced net profit of rm13.
In the nine months ended September 2017, 43 mils, an increase of about 11% over rm12.
The corresponding period of the previous year was 12mil.
As a result, the group's earnings per share rose to 4. 91 sen from 4.
During the period under review, the group had a lower income of rm158.
Compared with rm159, 91.
It was 74 Mil before.


text:
(KMSP) - As the 2018 Farm Bill makes its way through Congress, some Minnesota farmers are eyeing a measure that would legalize industrial hemp.
Often called "marijuana's kissing cousin,” the plant won't get you high. Right now, however, it is still a controlled substance, only grown legally in the US through experimental research.
At a hemp field off the interstate in Woodbury, the ancient plant is in bloom once again.
“This is our third growing year. We were the first growers in the state of Minnesota,” said John Strohfus, Founder and CEO of Minnesota Hemp Farms.
Growing hemp without a special permit is illegal. So, Strohfus and other farmers plant and harvest it through a pilot program with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
“There is really no difference genetically between hemp and marijuana except for the varieties, which have low THC,” Strohfus said. “Literally, you could smoke a field of this and you'll just get a headache.”
An entrepreneur at heart, Strohfus saw the crop as a business opportunity. After harvest, the hemp is processed and used in products like clothing, rope, oils and food.
“Hemp is not a new crop, but there's a renaissance in growing hemp in the United States, and I knew that with that would come a lot of opportunity to be one of the early adopters,” Strohfus said.
Now Strohfus and other Minnesota hemp farmers are looking to congress to pass the recent Farm Bill. Both the House and Senate have passed their own versions, and the Senate’s bill includes full legalization of industrial hemp. If passed, it would remove hemp from the federal list of controlled substances, allowing farmers to apply for crop insurance and federally funded programs.
“The United States is the number one importer of hemp in the world. And so for us not to be able to grow it is quite silly,” Strohfus said.
“It grows very well here. We also got in pretty early on the ground floor,” said Andrea Vaubel, Assistant Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. “There are now 39 states that have these pilot programs, but we are certainly one of the leaders amongst others like Colorado and Kentucky. So we're really proud of that and we feel like we can continue to be a leader, particularly if this becomes law.”
“I think it would be a relief that we don't have to constantly address the issue of is it legal or not,” Strohfus said.
Because the plants look so similar there have been concerns from law enforcement on how they would be able to tell a legal hemp field from a field of marijuana.
At the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus, scientists are working to resolve that very problem.
“We've been working on cannabis genetics in my laboratory for the last 15 years, including both hemp and marijuana. Our work started with an effort to understand how hemp and marijuana are different. We know that now,” said Dr. George Weiblen, University of Minnesota Professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology.
In the lab, Weiblen and his team dissect hemp seeds down to their DNA.
“We're working on being able to confirm the test so that we can distinguish seed that would have the potential to be marijuana versus seed that would be considered to be hemp,” said Research Associate and Hemp Project Manager, Jonathan Wenger.
As scientists do their work and politicians do theirs, Minnesota hemp growers are still watching and waiting, hoping hemp will prove fruitful on and off the farm.
“No one is making any money off of this crop in Minnesota right now. It's going to require the development of processing facilities, markets and products that consumers are willing to buy,” Weiblen said.
“The farm bill really legitimizes hemp for the forseeable future,” Strohfus said.
“Minnesota, in particular, I think is well positioned to take advantage of this Farm Bill. Should it include these provisions, I think we will be one of the nation's leaders in pushing hemp,” Weiblen said.
According to one estimate, Hemp-Derived Cannabidiol, or CBD, could become a $1-billion dollar industry by 2020. CBD is only one type of product derived from hemp.
“You combine nature's engineering with what we can do now with industrial technologies and you can make some very strong, resilient, durable and sustainable products. And that's where a lot of the interest is,” Weiblen said.
The House and the Senate will now attempt to sort out the differences in their respective versions of the 2018 Farm Bill. The current Farm Bill expires on Sept. 30.


text:
Recent legal disputes regarding Christian Louboutin red-soled shoes continue. The Paris-based footwear brand has returned to the Dutch court, once in partnership with Dutch shoe company Van Haren. Today, this popular brand has launched a series of legal issues involving red soles, including a trademark infringement suit against Dutch shoemaker Van Haren. CL has sought the orders of the Dutch court to force Van Haren under his brand name. Stop selling your own red shoes.
Up to now, the case has been opened in front of the Supreme Court of the European Union (EU), which will determine whether Louboutin’s trademark is valid. In June last year, the CJEU’s advocates issued a non-binding opinion that European trademark directives can be combined with a color.
The CJEU who heard the matter last week will decide whether this is true or not. The decision is expected to be made in the coming months. This will help resolve the ongoing battle between CL and Van Haren, but judging from past relative litigation, this is not the end of the brand’s battle to protect and defend its red soles.


text:
Trinnov Audio unveils its revolutionary WaveForming™ technology, poised to redefine the audio landscape. In a recent interview with Tom Garrett, a Sales Manager of…
A major Silicon Valley VC is set to return to South Africa, the country of his birth, to deliver a lecture at Stellenbosch University.
Roelof Botha made his name as one of the people fundamental to the early development of ecommerce payments system PayPal. He was named CFO in 2001, when he was 28.
When eBay bought out PayPal in 2002, Botha moved to Sequoia Capital, where he has remained ever since. He sits on the boards of companies such as Eventbrite, Jawbone, Mahalo, Meebo, Nimbula, Square, Tokbox, Tumblr, Unity and Xoom. He also sat on YouTube’s board prior to acquisition by Google.
The powerful VC will address students at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) on 10 April. His lecture will be reportedly be entitled “A view from Silicon Valley”.
The university will also grant Botha an honorary doctorate in commerce, “for his inspiring and pioneering leadership in the development of a safe and convenient payment system for the Internet, as well as for his imaginative and visionary entrepreneurial spirit in recognising, and developing through venture capital, the potential of new companies”.
Stellenbosch University is no stranger to tech, having recently teamed up with Stellenbosch municipality and major social player MXit to provide free Wi-Fi for the entire town.
Stellenbosch is also home to the World Of Avatar Group, which now owns MXit.


text:
Adata released its latest NVMe 1.2 SSD, the XPG SX9000, with the hope of catering to "gamers and PC overclockers."
The company said in a press release that the XPG SX9000 offers up to 2,800MBps read and 1,450MBps write speeds over the PCIe3x4 interface in an M.2 2280 form factor. It also said the drive features a new Marvell controller, but it seems to have meant "new to Adata," because the XPG SX9000 uses the same Marvell 88SS1093 (Eldora) controller as the Plextor M8Pe series of SSDs we reviewed all the way back in March.
Adata will offer the series in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacity sizes. The XPG SX9000 is rated for a TBW of up to 1,000TB—the company said that's "at least 20% more" data than 2.5" SATA consumer SSDs—and has a 2 million hour mean time between failures (MTBF) rating. It also has a five-year warranty, so if you do encounter problems before those 2 million hours run out, you won't have to worry about being left high and dry.
This is actually the second time we've heard about the XPG SX9000. The first was back at Computex 2017, and we left with these impressions:
The Adata XPG SX9000 sits at the top of the SX pyramid in both features and performance. The drive sports a Marvell Eldora 8-channel controller paired with Toshiba 15nm MLC flash and an electric red printed circuit board. The drive will exist as long as Toshiba can supply the planar NAND that we expect to be end of life, or priced out of consumer products, by the end of the year. It's too bad because the 2,800 MBps sequential read and 1,500 MBps sequential write speeds are phenomenal. The drive features low-density parity check to ensure long life for drives that range from 256Gb to 1TB. You may want to buy a few before the TLC apocalypse hits.
Adata said in its press release that the XPG SX9000 has been officially launched, but the company didn't offer any information about pricing or availability. Quick searches of Amazon and Newegg returned zero results for the XPG SX9000, though its little brothers, the XPG SX8000 and SX7000, were in stock. The retailers could just be lagging a bit behind in listing the drive, but that doesn't make today's news any less odd.
|Adata XPG SX9000
|256GB, 512GB, 1TB
|PCIe3x4 M.2 2280
|Interface / Protocol
|Up to 2,800MBps
|Up to 1,450MBps
Stay on the Cutting Edge
Join the experts who read Tom's Hardware for the inside track on enthusiast PC tech news — and have for over 25 years. We'll send breaking news and in-depth reviews of CPUs, GPUs, AI, maker hardware and more straight to your inbox.
Nathaniel Mott is a freelance news and features writer for Tom's Hardware US, covering breaking news, security, and the silliest aspects of the tech industry.


text:
Fizzy soft drink and snack peddler PepsiCo has published its first environmental sustainability performance report for its UK and Ireland operations, detailing progress it has made in reducing its carbon footprint and setting some bold targets for the future.
Some of PepsiCo’s brands, aside from Pepsi Cola, include Walkers, Quaker, Tropicana, PJ’s Smoothies, Snack a Jacks and SunBites and this sustainability report covers 5,500 people across 13 locations.
PepsiCo Uk & Ireland’s total carbon footprint in 2007 was 209,797 tonnes CO2e, the largest contribution coming from the energy used at its manufacturing sites. Direct energy use during 2007 – the oil and gas burned at its sites – was 501,959,311 kwh, while indirect energy use – the electricity used to power facilities – totalled 144,848,084 kwh. Employee air travel isn’t included in the carbon footprint total but the company estimates it to be around 2,637 tonnes CO2e (just over one per cent of its total footprint).
In the report the company has set itself these targets:
- All energy used in PepsiCo UK & Ireland manufacturing and distribution to be from renewable sources within 15 years, removing all oil and gas from operations
- Achieve zero landfill waste across the total supply chain within 10 years
- Quaker and Walkers packaging to be renewable, recyclable or biodegradable within ten years
- Replace PepsiCo UK & Ireland distribution fleet with the latest low-emissions vehicles, reducing harmful pollutants by 60 per cent within 10 years
- Achieve zero water intake at Walkers Crisps manufacturing sites within 10 years
Salmin Amin, president of PepsiCo UK & Ireland, said in the report:
“Economic growth has in the past been directly linked to our increasing use of energy and natural resources. To tackle the global environmental challenges we face, that will have to change. We, and others, need to commit to renewable energy, improved agricultural practices, less intensive packaging materials, and identifying other transformational ways of doing business. We need to find a way to separate developing great new products and growing the business from an ever-increasing burden on the natural world. We have already begun the journey, and this report sets out some of the milestones we will achieve on the way.”
The full report is here.


text:
Elixir VR Opens Pre Orders For Breakthrough VR Experience
Elixir VR today announced pre orders for the first season of the new sci fi series, “Foreverse” (for-eh-verse), about an elite team of gamers who stumble onto evidence that the “real world” as we know it may be the ultimate video game.
“Foreverse”— is a breakthrough new concept in cinematic entertainment developed for virtual reality headsets. Viewers will be able to experience the show in “roomscale” VR. For the first time, the audience will feel like they are inhabiting the same physical space as the characters. “This changes everything,” said Chris W. Hill, the show’s creator. “Being present as the adventure unfolds around you truly enhances the experience in ways we couldn’t have predicted.”
The project was started in the spring of 2016 as an experiment among the Hollywood, California based creative team at Elixir VR. That has grown into a full fledged series, with pre orders going live on Kickstarter this week.
“We took a demo of the show to a few events, and were blown away by the response! That community enthusiasm, coupled with our own excitement about the creative possibilities inherent in the show’s premise, prompted us to expand the project to four half-hour episodes.” Hill said additional episodes are possible in the future. “We have the entire series mapped out creatively, and we’d love to tell this story over multiple seasons. At the end of the day, that will be up to the community.”
Fans interested in experiencing an early taste of “Foreverse” will have an opportunity this weekend at VRLA, one of the largest virtual reality expos in America. This year’s event will be held April 14th & 15th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. “We are incredibly excited to be participating in this year’s expo. And we look forward to offering VR enthusiasts a sneak peek at the show!” You can find information about VRLA here.
About Elixir VR
Elixir VR is a California based VR entertainment start-up. Elixir VR’ s primary mission is to merge the best of Hollywood storytelling with cutting edge immersive technologies to offer a new class of entertainment experiences to a worldwide audience.


text:
After more than 25 years at Tysons Corner mall, Mama Phan has come to Annapolis.
That is the nickname of Tima Lee Phan, who has operated two franchise eateries at the Virginia shopping complex. When her smoothie shop went out of business, she approached the managers about a Korean fusion concept for the 365-square-foot space.
They gave their approval, and the Mixing Bowl launched there three years ago. This summer, it came to Westfield Annapolis, one of a handful of dining options that have opened at the mall in recent months.
At Phan's Mixing Bowl, Korean tacos, wraps and bibimbap — a Korean rice bowl — are offered with a choice of vegetables, meats and sauces.
She has 10 employees at the 735-square-foot location at the Westfield food court; another 10 continue to work at Tysons Corner. Phan, who lives in Fairfax, Virginia, splits her time between the two.
She said first-time customers don't always understand the meal options. "A lot of people still come up and ask for fried rice, just automatically thinking it's Chinese-related food," Phan said. "I believe by next spring we'll be a household, well-known name."
The Mixing Bowl is in the mall's regular food court, while Pizza Pie & Co. and Annapolis Cafe & Grill have opened in the newer dining cafe section in the east wing, near Nordstrom. Cup + Cake BLVD, which has a location in the Crofton-Gambrills area, will also be opening there this year.
Annapolis Ice Cream Company, which has had a shop on Main Street for 11 years, opened a second spot at the mall near Chipotle Mexican Grill over the summer.
Walter Giera of Annapolis Ice Cream company said he had been looking for a second location when he learned about the opportunity at the mall.
Now, Giera said, he has been trying to balance the inventory needs of both shops, since he has found that mall customers generally prefer the chocolate brownie batter, while peanut butter Oreo is the favorite flavor downtown.
He said he had not planned on opening at the mall because of the cost and also wasn't sure of the customer base there. But he found that customers like having the option of getting in and out at the new location.
"What we found is that a lot of our customers come up here and it's not cannibalizing from downtown at all," Giera said. "(Customers) don't go downtown as often because of parking, and parking here is a snap, except at Christmas … Every lot will be filled then and Christmas time is not normally our big season."
Within the last two weeks, IW Creations opened Annapolis Cafe & Grill and Pizza Pie and Co. at the dining cafe.
Annapolis Cafe serves all-day breakfast, along with lunch and dinner options. Pizza Pie and Co. offers New York-style pizza, cheesesteak and subs. IW Creations President Waqar Nazir said he found the dining cafe area to be more relaxed than the food court.
"We want everybody to have the experience away from the food court," Nazir said. "You don't have the hustle and bustle of the food court. We get the moms and the kids in this area. It's a unique setup."
Angelette Aviles, of Cup + Cake BLVD, won the mall's Food Court Wars competition and expects to open her shop there within the next month. It will be in the dining cafe, next to Pizza Pie & Co.
Her staff will continue to do make the food at the first location and provide products for both stores. The mall outlet will be oriented toward make-your-own-cupcake service.
"Where we're situated, it's very convenient for people who just want to come to a bakery in Annapolis," Aviles said. "They can park and go in and out."


text:
Target: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, Inc.
Goal: Convince Facebook to abandon its plan to listen in on consumers via smartphone microphones
Facebook recently announced that the newest upgrade to its smartphone app will include a feature that will allow the tech company to listen in to sounds in the smartphone’s proximity via the built-in microphone. The purported purpose of this feature is to identify the music being listened to or the television programming being watched and integrate this information into voluntary status updates. However, this technology would also allow the company to potentially listen in on private conversations and store that information indefinitely.
Although Facebook spokespeople have given assurances that the feature would never be used this way, the company has already been caught lying about both its methods of data collection and its involvement in government surveillance. It claims that what the app hears will get turned into data before it is stored, and that it will always be anonymized and aggregated, but no indication has been given that such data will not be sold to third parties or made available to government agencies. Since Facebook has cooperated with the National Security Agency (NSA) electronic data surveillance program in the past, there is real concern that this new collection method will lead to further violations of privacy.
Facebook has also stressed that the new feature will be completely optional, but it has in the past switched optional settings to automatic ones without prior notification. The ability to listen to us through our phones without our knowledge is a gross invasion of privacy in an age when the right to privacy is becoming more restricted everyday.
Tell Facebook that this new feature has too much potential to be used irresponsibly and is an unwelcome incursion into our private lives. Urge the company to abandon its plans to spy on consumers via the microphones on their mobile devices.
Dear Mr. Zuckerberg,
The new listen feature that you plan to roll out with your company’s smartphone app is an unwelcome and highly suspicious invasion of our privacy. The potential for abuse is high enough to outweigh any possible conveniences that might be gleaned from such a feature. As consumers our ability to trust corporations with our private data has already been strained by recent NSA revelations, and we are not willing to give you the benefit of the doubt that such a feature will not quietly become automatic or that the data will not be shared without our knowledge.
Trust must be earned, and listening in on our private lives is not a way to do that. If you want us to share our data you must first prove that such a privilege will not be abused. Please abandon your plan to release software that enables you to listen to us through our phones’ microphones.
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Kvarki1 via Wikimedia Commons


text:
Authors Guild Fires Back at Amazon
Google has about as many supporters as detractors for Google Book Search. Yesterday, several civil rights groups held a press conference to talk about how important the deal is for bridging the "digital divide." Noting that physical and financial barriers to knowledge continue to inhibit learning among disadvantaged communities and those of color, Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, said:
Amazon's hypocrisy is breathtaking. It dominates online bookselling and the fledgling e-book industry. At this moment it's trying to cement its control of the e-book industry by routinely selling e-books at a loss. It won't do that forever, of course. Eventually, when enough readers are locked in to its Kindle, everyone in the industry expects Amazon to squeeze publishers and authors. The results could be devastating for the economics of authorship.Amazon, the organization said, will be free to continue its lock on the online distribution of in-print books. Read more about this issue here on TechMeme.


text:
Fulda, 8 May 2019 – KAP AG, a publicly listed, mid-sized industrial group, saw a successful start to the 2019 financial year, asserting itself on the market despite a challenging economic environment. Based on preliminary figures, revenue increased by 3.4% for Q1 2019, reaching EUR 102.6 million (previous year: EUR 99.2 million). The previous year’s figure is adjusted for the revenue contributions of Geiger Fertigungstechnologie GmbH, sold in 2018. At the same time, the adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (“normalised EBITDA”) surpassed the strong result last year at EUR 13.0 million (previous year: EUR 12.3 million). In Q1 2018, Geiger still contributed around EUR 14.1 million to the revenue figures and EUR 1.7 million to EBITDA. “As expected, our segments are benefitting early in the year from their great market positions in attractive niche markets, asserting themselves within a weak overall economy. The segment strategy along with the initiated measures to increase the revenue and the profitability in the respective segments shows first results,” says Guido Decker, CEO of KAP AG. In Q1 2019, the EBITDA margin reached 12.7% (previous year: 12.4%). The equity ratio was a comfortable 49.6% on 31 March 2019 (31 December 2018: 51.6%).
Satisfactory development in the five segments
Revenue in the engineered products segment in Q1 2019 almost equalled the previous year’s figure at EUR 42.5 million (previous year: EUR 43.2 million). EBITDA rose by 2.8% to EUR 3.7 million (previous year: EUR 3.6 million). This was mainly due to the positive effects of a sustainably improved cost base for the segment.
The flexible films segment remains on track for further growth. Revenues increased slightly by 1.3% in Q1 2019 to EUR 23.3 million (previous year: EUR 23.0 million) with an unchanged EBITDA of EUR 2.7 million (previous year: EUR 2.7 million).
Growth in the newest segment, surface technologies, was influenced by the successful takeover of the Heiche Group in H2 2018. As a result, revenues in Q1 2019 increased significantly to EUR 18.0 million (previous year: EUR 6.5 million) and EBITDA rose to EUR 3.4 million (previous year: EUR 1.2 million).
At EUR 5.3 million (previous year: EUR 8.0 million), sales revenue in the it/services segment in Q1 2019 were in line with expectations. However, they were 33.8% below previous year, but it must be noted that a major order was invoiced in the previous year’s quarter that led to an extraordinary contribution in terms of revenue. EBITDA was EUR 0.6 million (previous year: EUR 1.0 million).
As expected, revenue in the precision components segment fell by 24.7% in Q1 2019 to EUR 14.6 million (previous year, not including Geiger: EUR 19.4 million). This is mainly due to the discontinuation of low-margin orders as a result of the closure of the Haslach site in 2018 and delayed start-ups of new products. EBITDA decreased by 37.9%, coming in at EUR 1.8 million (previous year, not including Geiger: EUR 2.9 million).
The quarterly report for Q1 2019 with the finalised figures will be published on 20 May 2019.
Early extension of appointment for the CEO
In its meeting on 6 May 2019, the Supervisory Board of KAP AG decided to extend the appointment of Guido Decker, CEO, early. The new mandate runs until 31. December 2023. Guido Decker has been CEO of KAP AG since 1 August 2017. "Under the leadership of Guido Decker, KAP AG has fundamentally repositioned itself over the past two years and has embarked on a successful course with the implementation of its segment strategy," said Christian Schmitz, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KAP AG. The extension of the appointment is intended to ensure further implementation of the successful strategy.
Industry expert Joachim Coers proposed for the Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board will propose to the Annual General Meeting of KAP AG to elect Mr. Joachim Coers, former member of the Executive Board of Tognum AG, as an independent member of the Supervisory Board. Mr. Coers would succeed Pavlin Kumchev, who resigned at the end of February 2019 and whose term of office ran until the Annual General Meeting 2022. Mr. Coers was CEO of Tognum AG as well as Chairman of the Management Board of MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH and its Labour Director. He is a proven industry expert and would also contribute this know-how to the Supervisory Board of KAP. The Annual General Meeting of KAP will take place on 3 July 2019 in Frankfurt am Main.
T: +49 661 103 716
Kirchhoff Consult AG
T: +49 40 609 186 34
About KAP AG
KAP AG is a mid-sized German industrial group with approximately 3,000 employees. We specialise in engineered products, flexible films, it/services, surface technologies and precision components, developing innovative industrial products and technological solutions for international companies from trade and industry. As a result of our dedicated long-term business strategy, we serve a number of attractive niche markets with sustainable growth potential. Our focus is to develop market-leading specialized high-margin industrial product lines within these segments. As a reliable partner in the context of succession planning, we also acquire attractively positioned medium-sized family companies with a view to strengthening our existing segments or developing new ones. Holders of KAP shares benefit from our company's growth trajectory and continuous dividend policy.


text:
After announcing grand theft auto vi earlier this year, Rockstar said Zip about the game, which is presumably in development for PS5, Xbox Series X | S and possibly also for PC. According to some rumors of different sources, this will change this year with a revelation trailer. Until this happens, there are new speculations about when the game could be launched, courtesy of Tom Henderson a prominent member of the industry and filter that has shown to have good information about the long-awaited game in the past.
On Twitter, Henderson transmits words that he expects the game to launch between 2024 and 2025, which aligns with what we have heard here and there. We have always heard 2024, with the warning that a delay in 2025 is a real possibility thanks to previous development problems due to the pandemic and the potential of more. We also hear that the game could be positioned for a launch in 2023 with the internal intention to be sent in 2024.
Unfortunately, this is the scope we have heard about when the game will be released and seems to be the scope of what Henderson has heard, since it is all he has said about the matter. As for what Rockstar Games has said above all this, well, he has not said anything and it is unlikely that this changes, since he never comments on rumors and speculation. That said, if for some reason this expectation fades and resonates, we will update the story accordingly.
Grand Theft Auto Vi is currently under development at Rockstar Games. There is no official word of an launch date or launch window, or platforms. In fact, the game has not yet presented. Until this happens, be sure to catch up with the latest rumors, leaks and speculations related to the title by clicking here.


text:
Hewlett-Packard on Thursday said it will bring strong multimedia and entertainment applications to WebOS by moving the MediaServer team into its Palm business unit.
IBM's research division is working on several virtualization projects that could boost security of cloud computing networks, reduce data center power costs, and improve the ability to run multiple hypervisors and operating systems, including Linux an...
Samsung's Galaxy Tab just can't beat the iPad, with 85 percent of U.S. consumers preferring Apple's tablet to Samsung's, according to a recent consumer survey. The results are based on a study conducted by investment firm Piper Jaffray, which surveye...
Results of a survey conducted by ChangeWave indicate that the Apple iPad is killing the Amazon Kindle in the e-reader market. However, the two devices are actually not direct competitors, and the ChangeWave survey results reflect a different reality ...
A recent ChangeWave survey posited that the iPad is chomping into Kindle's e-reader market share. The iPad jumped 16 per cent to 32 per cent, and the Kindle dropped 15 per cent but still commands 47 per cent of the market. Surely this means the downf...
Oracle on Thursday stepped up its efforts to rebuild Sun's hardware business, announcing a high-performance clustered database system that could turn up the competitive pressure on rivals IBM and Hewlett-Packard.
Hewlett-Packard announced Thursday that it will roll out an improved services support program as well as a policy change that could impede the growth of third-party support providers.
WASHINGTON - Amazon is a prominent company in the U.S. Its cloud servers host the U.S. government's Recovery.gov stimulus spending Web site, and it is competing for even more federal business. It also spent about $1.5 million this year on lobbying in...
Tablets will slowly gain acceptance in the enterprise, and in the long term could possibly could replace laptops as a primary computing device, a Dell executive said this week.
Nvidia is looking to expand its CUDA parallel-processing architecture to mobile devices in the next few years, the company's CEO said Wednesday.
Anyone who has spent any amount of time with an iPad will know that -- like all computers -- it sometimes doesn't do what it's supposed to do. It could be a frozen screen, a system that overheats or a refusal to recharge. The result is the same: You ...
Continuing its low-key crusade for greater mainframe openness (or less IBM dominance of that market), Microsoft has invested an undisclosed amount of money in mainframe emulator provider TurboHercules, said the Paris company.
Hewlett-Packard has dropped plans to offer Microsoft's next version of Windows Home Server OS, code-named Vail, in its products, after retiring a line of servers carrying the current version of the OS, Microsoft said on Tuesday.
When you consider technologies that make corporate IT more efficient by improving utilization of computing resources, <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/060710-tech-argument-citrix-vmware-microsoft.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_daily_am_2010-06-...
China has unveiled a sleek, ultra modern-appearing design for its new supercomputing center, apparently rejecting the windowless, boxy design of typical data center complexes with an architectural style -- including a saucer-shaped building -- that m...
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Motorola Moto X (2nd Gen) review: Raising the bar
- 2 Xiaomi Mi4 review: Xiaomi's best yet
- 3 Samsung Galaxy Note Edge review: Lightly flawed, Undeniably special
- 4 Sony Xperia Z3 review: The no-frills flagship
- 5 Samsung's Galaxy Alpha review: A peek into the Galaxy S6
Best Deals on GoodGearGuide
Latest News Articles
- Citrix's 900 job cuts seen as 'defensive' move
- Amazon returns to profit as holiday sales soar
- Uber passenger who alleged Delhi rape sues in US
- Microsoft said to invest in Android maker Cyanogen
- Google misses with Q4 sales and earnings
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.


text:
Are Retail Investors Looking for Entertainment?
Plenty has been written about retail investors' newly-found interest in the stock market.
With Robinhood adding 3 million new funded accounts in the first quarter, along with the likes of "Davey Day Trader" picking stocks using Scrabble tiles and investors getting financial advice on TikTok, the stock market has certainly attracted a new group of investors as of late.
As we said last week, boredom, stimulus checks, commission-free trading, lack of sports to bet on, or hopes of making a quick profit are all valid theories for the rise in retail traders' participation in the market.
According to Dan Egan, managing director of behavioral finance and investing at Betterment, it appears boredom is a valid theory as he says we are seeing retail investors enter the market for "entertainment investing."
Egan cites a lack of professional sports, film and television productions, indoor activities and other entertainment options for leading retail investors to seek a new sense of community.
"The stock market is in the news. People talk about it. It’s more accessible than it’s ever been," Egan said. "We are definitely seeing people treating it a little bit like a form of entertainment, where they want to come in and be able to talk about what they have and haven’t invested in and how it’s been doing."
The downside of the surge in retail investors' participation is they're getting into the market when valuations are at extreme levels.
"Everything is expensive," said Chris Watling, chief market strategist at Longview Economics. "80% of the markets we track have a valuation in the upper quartile relative to the market’s history -- the greatest percentage on record using data since the mid-1990s."
Furthermore, the concentration of a select handful of stocks propelling the markets higher is also getting worrisome. Amazon, Microsoft and Apple now have a combined market capitalization of more than $4.25 trillion, equal to 20% of U.S. GDP. Adding in Facebook and Google to get the top five stocks in the S&P 500, they now account for more of the index's weight than the top five did during the height of the dot-com bubble.
While these new retail investors have been rewarded by the Federal Reserve for purchasing everything under the sun—including bankrupt Hertz, it remains to be seen if it's different this time.
If it isn't, hopefully for their sake they can get out of the market and back to their pre-coronavirus lives before they get caught holding the bag.
Big bank, sell-side equity research is dead. Rapidly replacing it is low cost, independent equity research that gives actionable company insights without sacrificing quality.
Hide Not Slide is an independent research service covering the financial services industry. Check out their Seeking Alpha page where they give free in-depth analysis on companies like BlackRock, CME, Nasdaq, S&P Global, and more. Follow them on Twitter for real-time news and analysis impacting the broader market and the stocks they follow.
Former Wirecard CEO arrested. Former Wirecard CEO Markus Braun, who resigned on Friday, was arrested on suspicion of falsifying accounts. The Munich prosecutor’s office said Braun, who turned himself in, is accused of misrepresenting Wirecard's accounts and market manipulation by falsifying income. Wirecard said the company was "currently not making any further statements." Prosecutors are also reportedly considering issuing an arrest warrant for Jan Marsalek, a board member who was fired on Monday.
Amazon to invest in clean energy. Amazon is launching a $2 billion "Climate Pledge Fund" that will invest in technology to reduce the impact of climate change and support sustainable development. The fund will invest in transportation and logistics, energy, storage and utilization, manufacturing and materials, and food and agriculture. "Each prospective investment will be judged on its potential to accelerate the path to zero carbon and help protect the planet for future generations," Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said.
Patagonia follows North Face. Patagonia has followed North Face in pulling all of its advertising from Facebook and Instagram as a result of the social media giant's content. "We will pull all ads on Facebook and Instagram, effective immediately, through at least the end of July, pending meaningful action from the social media giant," North Face said. "From secure elections to a global pandemic to racial justice, the stakes are too high to sit back and let the company continue to be complicit in spreading disinformation and fomenting fear and hatred."
Apple ditches Intel. Apple will stop using Intel chips for its Macbook laptops and instead use its own ARM-based processors that are currently used in the iPhone and iPad. Apple has been using Intel chips in its computers since 2006 when it switched from PowerPC processors. "When we make bold changes, it’s for one simple but powerful reason: so we can make much better products," Apple CEO Tim Cook said.
Starbucks goes meatless. Starbucks has added the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich to its menu at most of its locations, which consists of the Impossible sausage, cage-free fried egg and aged cheddar cheese served on a ciabatta roll. "Starbucks' commitment to add more plant-based ingredients to its menu is a new benchmark for large corporations," Impossible Foods founder and CEO Dr. Patrick O. Brown said.


text:
Mackie: TomoTherapy CEO offers tips for business success
The leader of one of Wisconsin's top high-tech start-ups has some rules for success and the rules have special meaning in these tough economic times.
Thomas Mackie -- the CEO of TomoTherapy, says his most important rules for success are: “plan for disaster and design for success, don’t give up, stay with it if reward trumps risk, do what you do well and ignore the competition, hire people better than yourself, and have them hire people better than themselves, share rewards and spare risks, network, and be skeptical, yet optimistic.”
Based on some of those rules, TomoTherapy has become a widely accepted brand based on its products' ability to treat many cancers without harming adjacent vital organs.
Mackie describes the process as “a DNA kill machine,'' adding it can kill up to 10 trillion cancer cells and compares favorably to chemotherapy due to its precision.
The company was founded by Mackie in 1997 when Waukesha-based General Electric Medical decided to leave the radio-therapy business. The company began as a spin-off using Mackie’s background as a radiology professor at the UW Medical School. He and a core group of scientists built the first prototype south of Madison, and started the company with $150,000 dollars garnered from the sale of an earlier start-up company.
Less than a decade later TomoTherapy shares trade on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol “TOMO'' and has become a multi-million dollar enterprise with a three-building campus at the University Research Park in Madison.
Mackie spoke as part of a speaker series at Edgewood College in Madison.
During his talk, he offered business executives a variety of stories detailing his five rounds of fundraising to get TomoTherapy off the ground.
Mackie said the company used both venture capital and angel investors to get started. The first sales were to Canada before the company gained Federal Drug Administration approval. After the FDA approved the equipment, the first patient was treated in 2001.
Mackie said his experience suggested that the most important thing to know about raising money with venture capitalists was that they want a return on their investment, advising against so don’t use them if you want to grow a “mom-and-pop” business to hand down to your children.
And he offered suggestions to promote creativity among staff in a highly technological setting. His experience: “Some of the best ideas come from unstructured Tomo meetings.”


text:
Popular tring platform Robinhood has partnered with blockchain data platform Chainalysis to meet compliance requirements. Robinhood is preparing to launch its wallet, which has a waitlist of more than 1.6 million users.
Robinhood Partners With Chainalysis for Compliance
Blockchain data analytics firm Chainalysis announced Monday “an integrated partnership with online brokerage app Robinhood Crypto.” The company explained:
Robinhood will leverage Chainalysis data and tools to meet compliance requirements and provide Robinhood customers with the confidence they need to tre cryptocurrency safely.
Robinhood Crypto will opt Chainalysis KYT and Chainalysis Reactor. The former “flags risky and illicit transactions in real-time” while the latter “enables deeper due diligence into potential suspicious activity.”
Chainalysis ded that Robinhood will also leverage its certification programs “to ensure their teams are well versed in the knowledge and skills required to operate a compliant cryptocurrency business.”
Robinhood’s Upcoming Wallet Launch
The blockchain data firm noted:
Robinhood Crypto turned to Chainalysis ahe of the anticipated launch of Robinhood crypto wallets which currently has a waitlist of more than 1.6M.
Robinhood Crypto’s wallets will provide customers the ability to deposit and withdraw cryptocurrencies supported by the platform.
Currently, users can buy and sell seven cryptocurrencies on Robinhood: bitcoin, bitcoin cash, bitcoin sv, dogecoin, ethereum, ethereum classic, and litecoin. Furthermore, Robinhood Crypto supports real-time market data for bitcoin gold, lisk, monero, neo, omisego, qtum, XRP, stellar, and zcash.
The meme crypto dogecoin (DOGE) accounted for 40% of the company’s cryptocurrency transaction-based revenue for the three months ended Sept. 30, the company said during its Q3 earnings call.
Christine Brown, Robinhood Crypto’s COO and VP of Product Operations, shared some details of the platform’s upcoming wallet in November. “We are actively in our alpha so we do have users we are onboarding who are actually getting access to this product today, right now,” she said at the time.
Meanwhile, supporters of the meme cryptocurrency shiba inu have petitioned for Robinhood to d SHIB to its platform. The petition on Change.org has garnered almost 550K signatures but Robinhood recently said it’s in no hurry to d another cryptocurrency.
What do you think about Robinhood partnering with Chainalysis and its upcoming wallet launch? Let us know in the comments section below.
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting vice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.
META ARTICLE: Robinhood Turns to Chainalysis to Boost Compliance Ahe of Crypto Wallet Launch – Featured Bitcoin News PUBLISHED: 2021-12-13 22:30:51 SOURCE: https://news.bitcoin.com/robinhood-chainalysis-boost-compliance-crypto-wallet-launch/


text:
03 May. 2019
Dot.Cy proudly participated in HITEC EUROPE 2019
, the European branch of the world’s largest and oldest hospitality technology exposition and conference brand, which took place in Mallorca Spain this April.
Alongside industry peers, Dot.Cy presented its unique and powerful Guest Engagement and Sales Automation platform dot.Hospitality on Microsoft Dynamics 365, designed specifically for the Hospitality Industry.
We were thrilled to see that the industry problems which our platform actually resolves were the topic of a key presentation at HITEC Europe Mallorca 2019.
Our take on it in this video interview: https://bit.ly/2XNQC4I
Looking to the future, we will be working hard to keep leading the way in innovation and Digital Disruption.


text:
Leading open marketing platform provider honored for its commitment to best practices in security, privacy and consumer protection
SAN JOSE, Calif. – July 9, 2015 – Ensighten, the leading global omni-channel data and tag management provider and company behind theOpen Marketing Platform, today announced it has been named to the Online Trust Alliance (OTA) 2015 Online Trust Honor Roll for the fourth consecutive year. The achievement reaffirms Ensighten’s strong position in helping brands protect customer data and its commitment to keeping privacy a top priority.
“The heightened consumer concern over the way their data is being used has forced marketers to tread a careful line between driving ROI and ensuring consumers are comfortable and well informed,” said Craig Spiezle, Executive Director and Founder, Online Trust Alliance. “Ensighten has consistently demonstrated its commitment to protecting user data, not only respecting consumer privacy but also advocating for it. We commend them on their efforts and continued recognition on our annual list.”
Ensighten’s approach to tag management and digital marketing allows its customers to maintain complete control over their user data at all times. Ensighten Privacy, which enables full website data privacy and compliance, is the only data privacy solution that can monitor and enforce stringent privacy compliance for all website tags. Existing Ensighten tag management customers can leverage Ensighten Privacy today with minimal additional integration. The product enables marketers and retailers to ensure their websites fully comply with privacy standards in the U.S. and Europe while also giving consumers centralized control over how companies may use their data.
“We’re honored to be recognized by the Online Trust Alliance for the fourth year in a row for our continued commitment to providing brands with the tools to collect, own and act on consumer data in a manner that is consistent with international privacy laws,” said Josh Manion, CEO and founder, Ensighten. “Our Ensighten Privacy product delivers the best in consumer privacy protection by enabling brands to avoid data leakage from third-party applications and giving consumers centralized control of how their data is used.”
The OTA is a non-profit aiming to help educate businesses, policy makers and stakeholders while developing and advancing best practices and tools to enhance the protection of users’ security, privacy and identity. Of the nearly 1,000 sites audited this year including leading banks, commerce, social and media sites, only 45% made the Honor Roll this year, and nearly 40% failed in one or more categories indicating significant lapses in security and privacy compliance. For the full list of 2015 honorees visit https://otalliance.org/HonorRoll.
About The Online Trust Alliance (OTA)
The Online Trust Alliance (OTA) is a non-profit with the mission to enhance online trust and user empowerment while promoting innovation and the vitality of the Internet. OTA’s goal is to help educate businesses, policy makers and stakeholders while developing and advancing best practices and tools to enhance the protection of users’ security, privacy and identity. OTA supports collaborative public-private partnerships, benchmark reporting, meaningful self-regulation and data stewardship. Their members include federal law enforcement agencies, and the world’s leading e-commerce, online banking, online security and social media companies.
Ensighten, the global leader in omni-channel data and tag management, is changing the face of digital marketing by transforming the way enterprises collect, own and act on their customer data across all marketing channels and devices. The Ensighten Open Marketing Platform enables enterprises to achieve true one-to-one personalization, accelerate the execution and optimization of their marketing initiatives and deliver superior user experiences. Ensighten, with its unique hybrid-tagging™ technology, powers companies generating over $1.9 trillion in revenue in over 150 countries. The world’s leading brands (Microsoft, Capital One, United Airlines and T-Mobile) achieve marketing agility by implementing Ensighten’s single line of code. Ensighten is headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley in San Jose, with offices in San Diego, London and Sydney. To learn more visit www.ensighten.com, and join the conversation on LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ensighten and Twitter @ensighten.


text:
Institute for Justice Releases Statement on Baltimore’s Creation of Food Truck Zones
Arlington, Va.—Institute for Justice Attorney Greg Reed released the following statement about the city of Baltimore’s creation of 10 new food truck zones. The mayor stated today that the zones were created in direct response to IJ’s lawsuit challenging the city’s ban on food trucks operating within 300 feet of any brick-and-mortar business that sells the same type of food, merchandise or service:
This announcement is nothing more than an unsuccessful attempt by the city to make it appear as if it is promoting food truck freedom. The answer to the city’s unconstitutional 300-foot ban is not to create food truck zones. The answer is to get rid of the ban completely, along with the idea that Baltimore can protect brick-and-mortar businesses from mobile vending competition. The city itself has admitted that the ban’s purpose is to protect one group of businesses at the expense of another. That is just plain wrong. IJ, Pizza di Joey, and MindGrub will keep fighting until Baltimoreans are free to decide where to buy their lunch.


text: The new Peugeot 2008 until September 26, 2016 at Peugeot Avenue Champs Elysees Paris. The new exhibition at Peugeot Avenue. Dubbed "Beyond Cities" features two examples of the model: one finish "Allure" presented in a new red hue "Ultimate" and the other version 'GT Line', more chic and sporty, exposed white pearly. Alongside the throne also Quartz concept. Visitors places will take the wheel of the new 2008. Not on the road but virtually, thanks to a device that will Oculus their particular test the motor system "Grip Control."


text:
Four days after its $525 million takeover, Nuuvera Inc. has been rebranded to Aphria International Inc.
The newly rebranded smaller subsidiary will focus on markets abroad such as Italy, Austria, and Germany, the Financial Post reported on Tuesday.
Aphria CEO Vic Neufeld said his company will take over Nuuvera’s Canadian operations, including supply contracts in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
“They were ahead of the curve in terms of scoping out strategic countries,” said Neufeld.
“What they’ve lined up in terms of non-binding letters of intent, we are now taking over and trying to move them across the line to make them binding LOIs.”
While the takeover deal was finalized last week, the news did not help Aphria’s share price. This is possibly due to Aphria learning that Nuuvera had 40 percent less cash in the bank than previously indicated.
Neufeld, meanwhile, said Aphria can buttress what was “missing” for Nuuvera, “a supply change.”
The deal will allow Nuuvera to continue focusing on its international expanding. Nuuvera is currently competing with other companies for a Germany cultivation license.
Neufeld hopes the deal will go through in the upcoming weeks or months.
“It’s probably the most lucrative medical cannabis country in the world, given the socialized medicine coverage for cannabis. It is huge. That country alone pays for the entire acquisition.”
Prior to the announcement of the takeover, Nuuvera acquired an Italian import license and a GMP-certified facility in Malta.[share-btn]


text:
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Iguazio, the Data Science Platform built for production and real-time machine learning (ML) applications, today announced that it has launched the first production-ready integrated feature store. The feature store, which sits at the heart of its data science platform, enables enterprises to catalogue, store and share features for development and deployment of AI in hybrid multi-cloud environments and is built to handle real-time use cases.
According to Gartner, one of the top barriers to AI implementation is the “complexity of AI solution(s) integrating with existing infrastructure”1. At the core of machine learning is the data, and operationalizing machine learning (MLOps) requires processing data at scale, building model-serving pipelines, and monitoring models for accuracy and drift. This is a long and resource-intensive effort.
Tech giants like Netflix, Twitter and Uber have already understood the inefficiency in this process and built their own feature stores to standardize the use of features across the organization and create a more efficient workflow. Iguazio is now bringing this capability to all enterprises, as a part of its platform.
“For companies that don’t have hundreds of data scientists and data engineers, building a feature store from scratch, in-house, is not feasible,” said Asaf Somekh, Co-Founder and CEO of Iguazio. “We wanted to bring this functionality to our customers, and provide them with an off-the-shelf solution for feature engineering across training, serving and monitoring in hybrid environments.”
Uniquely, the Iguazio unified online and offline feature store, integrated within its data science platform, provides next-level automation of model monitoring and drift detection, enables training at scale, and running continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) of machine learning (ML). It plugs seamlessly into the data ingestion, model training, model serving, and model monitoring components of the platform. The feature store is built on Iguazio’s open source MLOps framework, MLRun, enabling contributors to add data sources and contribute additional functionality.
Iguazio’s platform is used by customers such as Payoneer, Quadient and Tulipan for various use cases such as fraud prediction and real-time recommendations. Earlier today, Iguazio also announced that it has entered into a strategic agreement with the Sheba Medical Center, the largest medical facility in Israel and the Middle East and ranked amongst the Top 10 Hospitals in the World by Newsweek magazine, to facilitate Sheba’s transformation with AI. Clinical and logistical use cases include predicting and mitigating COVID-19 patient deterioration and optimizing patient journey with smart mobility.
“Using Iguazio, we are revolutionizing the way we use data, by unifying real-time and historic data from different sources and rapidly deploying and monitoring complex AI models to improve patient outcomes and the City of Health’s efficiency”, said Nathalie Bloch, MD, Head of Big Data & AI at Sheba Medical Center’s ARC innovation complex
The solution has been embraced by Iguazio’s strategic partners, including Microsoft Azure, NetApp and MongoDB, and regarded as an important accelerator to making the MLOps process of developing and deploying AI much simpler.
Boris Bialek, Global Head of Enterprise Modernization at MongoDB commented: “With Iguazio’s feature store, MongoDB Atlas, our fully managed cloud database, can easily store features that are ready to use in machine and deep learning, making MLOps a reality. This refines the experience for both our advanced users, who are scaling AI, and those just starting out on their AI journey to innovate on top of an already powerful database.”
Iguazio’s feature store is now available for all customers of its data science platform.
The Iguazio Data Science Platform enables enterprises to develop, deploy and manage AI applications at scale. With Iguazio, enterprises can run AI models in real time, deploy them anywhere (multi-cloud, on-prem or edge), and bring to life their most ambitious AI-driven strategies. Enterprises spanning a wide range of verticals, including financial services, manufacturing, smart mobility, telecoms and ad-tech use Iguazio to solve the complexities of MLOps and create business impact through a multitude of real-time use cases such as fraud prevention, predictive maintenance and real-time recommendations. Iguazio brings data science to life. Find out more on www.iguazio.com.
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Additional customer and partner quotes here
1Gartner, “Innovation Insight for ModelOps”, Farhan Choudhary, Shubhangi Vashisth, Arun Chandrasekaran, Erick Brethenoux, 6 August 2020.


text:
We've been talking about how July 27th will be the big day for Microsoft, KDDI (AU) and Toshiba-Fujitsu for a a few days. As we're getting close to the hour (10am Tokyo), news and more details are now leaking out.
The press event is expected to have Microsoft Japan officially unveil Windows Phone Mango localized for the Nippon masses as well as Toshiba-Fujitsu showing off, in detail, the IS12T which is expected to be the first Mango device sold on the market.
The good news for those who cannot be there live is the event will be live on UStream at 10:00 am in Tokyo. (UTC+09:00; 9pm EST on the 26th). That channel can be found here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/au-happyoukai
In addition, the IS12T was spotted in some source code for AU's website, but it was commented out from public eyes. When brought up, you can see the image above with the now yellow device sporting Windows Phone on board. Since we've already seen a pink version and now yellow, it's not too hard to imagine this device coming in a variety of colors. Combined with some localized apps on board, Japan is looking to have an exciting next few days.
Via: NanaPho 1, 2
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
The Black Friday keyboard deals you need to know about
Getting your hands on a new keyboard is exciting for PC users, and thanks to Black Friday, it's more affordable than ever before. Here's a look at the best Black Friday keyboard deals available now.
Best Wireless Headsets for Xbox Series X, Series S 2020
Next-gen consoles need next-gen wireless. Here are our picks for the best wireless headsets for Xbox Series X and Series S.
Here's what to expect from Windows 10 in 2021
The year is almost over, so it’s time to look ahead to 2021 and see what we can expect from Windows in 2021. Windows 10 has taken somewhat of a backseat when it comes to major features or OS changes in the last couple of years, but that appears to be about to change as Microsoft aims to refocus on the OS in big ways next year.
These are the best PC sticks for when you're on the move
Instant computer, just add a screen! That’s the general idea of the ultra-portable PC Compute Sticks, but it can be hard to know which one you want. Relax, we’ve got you covered.


text:
Published on : Friday, May 14, 2021
Fresh outbreaks of COVID-19 and travel restrictions are discouraging tourists from visiting Thailand’s beaches and Turkey’s bazaars, obstructing a recovery in tourism, which is a crucial source of foreign currency, employing many in emerging markets.
Global tourism suffered its worst year ever in 2020 with the sector declining in value by an estimated $4.5 trillion due to the pandemic, as per WTTC figures. The scale of recovery in 2021 is still uncertain.
With one in three countries and territories worldwide closed to tourism, key sources of tourists like Britain restricting foreign travel to most countries and fresh virus cases in popular destinations like Thailand, the prospects look bleak.
The UNWTO has opined that tourism could revive in either July or September; however, arrivals would still be less than half of 2019 levels.
Emerging economies that are usually more dependent on tourism than their developed peers are most susceptible to the situation.
Tunisia and Egypt have vaccinated less than 5% of their populations, compared to the rates of 20-30% across the Mediterranean in Greece, Italy and Spain.
Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Sri Lanka are among the most vulnerable, with all four largely tourism dependent.
Up to 62 million tourism jobs were lost across the world in 2020, estimates the WTTC.


text:
Many millennial smartphone users in North America and the UK do transact via mobile—whether every day or a few times per week.
60% of internet users said they were very concerned about the criminal use of AI technologies.
Consumers believe the technology can help solve a lot of problems, as well as assist them with any decisions they need to make—ultimately it’s convenient.
The majority of countries worldwide have low expectations of Donald Trump’s impending stint in the White House.
This infographic illustrates the mCommerce market, from rising regions, to average order value, to mobile coupon use and payments.
Marketers are ramping up their technology investments to better understand consumer needs and behaviors.
Almost 1 in 10 (9%) of unique visitors to websites in the US (desktop-only) block ads.
Bigger companies may have more capabilities than their small- and midsized counterparts, but those capabilities may just reveal how many challenges they truly face.
41% of American PC users and 11% of mobile users reported regularly using ad-blocking software, and usage rates in the UK weren’t far behind.


text:
The Guardian reports that Great Britain now spends more time on the internet than watching television, according to a survey published by Google. The report showed that British internet users spend an average of 164 minutes online daily, compared to 148 minutes watching television. Read more here.
Does this fact surprise you? Are people spending too much time on the internet?
In Canada, o n June 13, 2014, a Canadian court issued an injunction requiring Google to remove certain websites from its internet search res...
This website has some useful links and references: http://www.epiphanysolutions.co.uk/article-index/rights-and-laws-of-the-internet/
Rokt is fighting in Federal Court to have a patent application allowed. The Commissioner of Patents is opposing the grant of the patent: ...


text:
Congressman Paul Tonko today voted to reauthorize the U.S. Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank. Ex-Im is a self-sustaining federal agency and the official export credit agency of the U.S. It helps finance American exports of manufactured goods and services, and serves as a catalyst for the expansion of small-business exports. The bill, Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011, H.R. 2072, passed by a vote of 330-93.
"Job creation and economic growth continue to be my top priorities," said Congressman Paul Tonko. "This legislation today, coupled with President Obama's visit to the Capital Region yesterday, represents a one-two punch for jobs and the middle class. Reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank will ensure we continue to export finished products instead of jobs. I will continue to fight for policies that promote domestic manufacturing and those three precious words: Made in America."
The charter for Ex-Im last expired on September 30, 2011 and is under a short-term extension until May 31, 2012 with no increase in the lending cap. The Bank currently has more business in its pipeline than it can support.
Creating and maintaining U.S. jobs and contributing to a stronger national economy is the role of the Ex-Im Bank. It is the only tool American manufacturers have to counter the massive export financing provided by other governments for their exporters. Thousands of jobs in the Capital Region alone would have been lost without the bank's reauthorization.
For FY 2011, Ex-Im supported more than $40 billion in export sales, and nearly 300,000 U.S. jobs at over 3,600 companies. It also set a record in its support of small businesses at $6 billion -- with more than 85 percent of transactions supporting small businesses.
Ex-Im is highly profitable, returning approximately $3.5 billion to the U.S. government since 2005.
The following is a list of companies in the Capital Region that have done business with the Ex-Im Bank from 2007 through 2012. These companies may have otherwise been forced to lay off workers if the bank was not reauthorized.


text:
Space Invaders Extreme first landed on the Nintendo DS and PSP, then later arrived on Xbox Live Arcade. Looks like Square Enix is taking a similar strategy with the iPhone game, Space Invaders Infinity Gene. Siliconera reports that the latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu has word on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network versions of Infinity Gene.
Space Invaders Infinity Gene is a neo-retro shooter with style that will make your eyes bleed. IGN gave the iPhone version an 8.7.
You know when would be a good time for Square Enix to possibly announce a US release for the XBLA and PSN versions? E3.


text:
“All Nescafe packs will transition into the global aligned visual identity system,” said Nayla Sioufi, general manager, coffee. “This change will also be accompanied by the new common communication messaging centred around ‘It all starts with a Nescafe’.” Sioufi added that the change is aimed at “further strengthening the brand’s market leadership in the instant coffee category in India.” She,however, didn’t divulge the brand’s current market share.
Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman, McCann WorldGroup, the creative agency on the Nescafe account, declined to comment on its advertising plans in India. Joshi is currently at the Cannes Lions festival, where he’s a judge.
But a top official at the agency said, “Nestle is yet to decide how the new advertising will pan out… It’s work in progress.”
The current ads show Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone as the face of Nescafe, along with musicians Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa, apart from TV actor Purab Kohli. A recent industry report said that in the instant coffee category, Nescafe is the leader with about threefourths share, with Hundustan Unilever’s Bru at second slot.
The packaged coffee market is estimated at close to Rs 800 crore, but growing in low single digits at best, with almost no category innovation by marketers. Meanwhile, the café culture seems to be catching on at the expense of home consumption.
Prathish Nair, chief business architect at consulting firm Trancend Brand Consulting, said, “Imagery of coffee almost always projects togetherness — so people prefer to consume it outside. So coffee tends to become more an ‘outside consumption’,” Nair said.
“Packaged coffee has to put in significant effort to rejuvenate the coffee… for example, the single-shot coffee which is a big hit in international markets hasn’t been attempted here,” Nair added.
The Vevey, Switzerland headquartered company announced two days ago that Nescafe was launching a unified, global look and feel across all products in the 180 countries where it is sold.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Sumitomo Mitsui, 4 Others Sought Info on IDBI Sale
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and one other global bank are among five potential investors that have sought information from the Centre about the sale of state equity in IDBI Bank through a formal query process that closed on November 10, people familiar with the matter told ET.Flipkart may go in for $700m Esop Buyback
Walmart-owned homegrown ecommerce marketplace Flipkart is likely to facilitate a $700 million employee stock buyback as part of digital payments platform PhonePe’s new financing round, multiple sources briefed on the matter told ET.Falling Input Costs may Cool Prices of Essentials, Apparel
Prices of groceries, daily essentials and apparel are likely to fall over the next two quarters as input costs are expected to decline, spurring sales in the process, according to consumer goods makers.
Read More News on
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
ETPrime stories of the day
6 mins read
4 mins read
3 mins read


text:
Last year's inaugural event saw over 150 members of the press attending to see what was on offer for Christmas from 16 toy companies. The event is designed to provide consumer magazines and newspapers with information for Christmas editorial features.
Visitors this year will be able to take part in demonstrations and take advantage of a dedicated website where press releases and information can be instantly downloaded.
The event focuses on gifts parents would like to buy for their children, and last year saw educational and creative toys being some of the biggest hits with the press.
For more information or to book, call Evolution on 01327 701702 or email Helen@Evolution-pr.co.uk. Space will be limited to 20 companies taking part.


text:
Women share tales of bitter times in ‘sexist’ beer industry
A MeToo movement in the craft beer industry has shaken British breweries, with women sharing stories of alleged sexism, assault and toxic working environments.
The movement, which started in America and spread by workers sharing stories on Instagram, has led to apologies from breweries including BrewDog, in Scotland; Marble Beers, in Manchester; and Modern Times Beer, in San Diego.
The reckoning for Britain’s beer industry has been led by Siobhan Hewison, 31, a freelance beer and travel writer based in Edinburgh who goes by the moniker British Beer Girl and started using her Instagram account this year to share workers’ stories anonymously.
“Everyone’s fully aware that the beer industry is a very straight, white, male-dominated industry, but the amount of harassment stories has been